Did your skin crawl like mine did?
OMG I literally died a little when I saw this. I instantly felt rage for the father in this commercial. Windows down+water+soap= nightmare. Could you imagine how long it probably took for that car to dry out? I mean did they sit on towels for days? Did water get in the radio? What about the heat/ac vents? Ahhh!
And yet do you see how the father reacts? He shakes his head, disappointed, frustrated I'm sure but then he grabs a sponge and "helps". He helps.
I want to be that parent, that mom. I want to stop caring about messes and getting dirty and jump in the action. I want to say "Who cares? Let's do this!".
The other day I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought I would put my own spin on it. So I set out mini bowls, filled them with rice and proceeded to color them. Kendall loved that part and couldn't wait to get her little hands on those little bowls. I let her dump all of the bowls into one big bowl and then we mixed, mixed, mixed. She LOVED it. We then hid her Dora and princess figurines and I had a list {in my head} of all the pieces she needed to find.
Rice was flying everywhere, all over the counters, on the floor, in the rug, everywhere. I felt myself getting anxious. I put down a towel but that didn't matter because she picked up the towel and flung the rice that was on it on the floor. I panicked. I felt hot. I wanted to immediately grab the vacuum and clean it all up. I threatened to take it away if she threw the rice out one more time.
And then I thought about that commercial. I thought about that commercial and I calmed down. It was just she and I that night, we were already in our pjs, no one was coming over, we had nothing else to do, so who cares? She was having so much fun, she thought the rice was sprinkles and kept saying it smelled like "toot toots" {toddlers are weird}. Since that day this has become one of her favorite indoor activities.
I learned something that night, from that Subaru commercial. Kids are only kids once. There is always time to clean up and there will always be another mess. Homes aren't meant to be spic and span they are meant to be lived in, enjoyed. So that's what I'm trying to do, enjoy this time.
Truth be told I felt more at ease that day and ever since. Letting things slide, letting the mess sit until after bedtime, letting my kid be a kid has done wonders for my attitude. I feel less stress and I could tell Kendall was happier. I can't say I blame her. Life is so much more enjoyable when you don't have a nagging mom.
Guess I better trade in the ole Chevy for a Subaru now.
Love the spirit of this post! (and the sensory bowl idea too!) I have to say though that when I see that commercial I definitely think to myself how someone is going to sue Subaru when their kids try to do this! It makes me so angry - that car is ruined!! :-P
ReplyDeleteThis is something that I have also been trying to do more. I tend to lean towards projects that aren't quite so messy even though I know that those are the ones that are the most fun! I'm going to do my best to remember that video next time I balk at the thought of a big mess. And thanks for sharing the rice idea. Maybe that will be our first messy project! :)
ReplyDeleteI love this post! We've done that activity outside and the kids loved it. Maybe I'll do it again inside this time. :)
ReplyDeleteI want to be that mom too. I get so anxious about messes. I get mad at little spills when in reality its only going to take a minute to clean up. When I fell myself get that wat I try saying to myself "breathe" and it helps me calm down and live in the moment
ReplyDeleteThose sensory bins look so fun...I tried them once with oatmeal but I think Elena was too young. You're definitely making me want to re-visit this idea. One of the greatest challenges for me as a mother has been to try and relinquish control. I am a control freak and messes, chaos, and disorder make me panicky. As I type this my toddler is walking around with a dripping sippy and an oatmeal bar dropping crumbs on my carpet. And I'm still breathing ;) It feels good to let kids be kids and to relax a bit as parents. You drove the point home...kids are only kids once!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that commercial! I laugh everytime, my husband shudders and then talks about how that would RUIN the car yada yada yada. I hope that I can be "that parent" that joins in. That can teach right and wrong and still be fun. I had those memories and I hope to be able to make many with my child(ren)! I think you are definately THAT mom, you are very inspirational :)
ReplyDeleteJosh and I always laugh at that commercial. it teaches a lesson...and it shows kids how to handle situations that REALLY don't matter. it's a CAR, they are replaceable. they dry out. get a shop vac :) we make all kinds of messes here; I love it and the kids do too!
ReplyDeleteJulie we love a good mess here too. They are boys. They wash clean.
DeleteOMG..that Subaru commercial drives me nuts!! I like want to jump through the TV and yell at them. I seriously would ground my kids until they are no longer kids! :)
ReplyDeleteHa! My husband cringes more at that commercial than I do. I love how much stuff my daughter gets into. Her favorite thing to do is to pull everything out of her diaper bag. It's so cute because she pulls one thing out at a time, plays with it for a minute and then tosses it aside. It keeps her entertained and I don't mind cleaning it up later.
ReplyDeleteI've totally taken this mantra now that I'm home 100% of the time. You can vacuum, sweep, wipe things down. My house was a mess before, and I was stressed. Now it's a mess, and while it still bugs me, I fight the urge to freak out because it really doesn't matter. I'll clean for the important things - every day, let them play!
ReplyDeleteLB
www.accordingtol.com
I wish I could be that mom too but something inside of me just can't. I am better now {when my son was a toddler he would always tell me to stop picking up things he was playing with lol} but I still cannot stand mess. I get so anxious and so overwhelmed. I am working daily on letting the mess go because it really doesn't matter and my house is clean, not perfect but clean and when you have little ones letting them play and playing with them is most important!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! I've been the nagging mom for as long as I can remember, and I cringed when I saw that commercial too. Once in a while, when I let Cooper play with play-doh, and he makes an incredible mess, I am just like you with the rice, and I really struggle with not cleaning everything up lickety split, but sometimes, we do have to let our kids make those messes and clean them up later. It's hard, but they need to have that fun.
ReplyDeletePlastic tarp? Might help your OCD and THAT-Mom wanted-ness cohabitate nicely.
ReplyDeleteBut kudos for letting her make a mess. :)
This makes me smile.. and relax a little bit. I only have a 5 month old and I'm already freaking out about the high chair getting messy. Thanks for a great reminder !
ReplyDeleteLove this! That's what a real super mom does!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this Shannon! You amaze me. I totally need to keep this in mind for babysitting!
ReplyDeleteI hope I can be that mom too when I have kids! :)
ReplyDeleteMy hubs saw that commercial yesterday and he said it made his skin crawl. He said he didn't think he could ever just be so okay with his kids turning the inside of his car into a suds filled pool.
ReplyDeleteI just think that they were trying to help and the only way they will learn is to make messes & mistakes. Just pick them up, dust them off and help them to try again. Use this to teach them what they did wrong & then help them to fix it. It's a learning experience for everyone involved.
This post is spot on. My car is one of my favorite/important things and when I saw this commercial I said out loud, "I would die" but of course I want to be the cool mom- but I'm not. I'm the uptight controlling mom. A great reminder- as is your post. Just let it go... let it go ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I just had a mild panic attack watching that commercial. Like I still sort of can't breathe. But you're right; there are times when it is better to just let them be kids and worry about the mess later. Great reminder hon. And we'll be trying out this idea!
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